Bangor, ME- Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play awarded grants to seven Penquis Child Development Centers for enhancements to their outdoor play spaces. Penquis Child Development is now celebrating the completion of playground improvements at each Head Start locations. Three of the Head Start Centers are located in the Bangor area and the others are located in Old Town, Guilford (SAD#4/Penquis Pre-K), Newport Pre-K and Newburgh Early Childhood Center. Each center received $5,000 to enrich their playgrounds brining new learning experiences, physical activities and adventure for the children.

A few of the items purchased for the outdoor play space at Eastern Maine Community College include binoculars, bird feeders, Critter Cabins, nature activity kits, and a classroom thermometer. These items bring new opportunities for children to interact with nature while experiencing a sense of adventure as they explore and learn more about the mini habitat right on their own playground.

The Guilford SAD #4/Penquis Pre K purchased a double-sided Paint Station that provides children opportunities for creative expression and gross and fine motor experiences. The Paint Station is accessible to children at various physical and developmental levels, and provides children with sensory experiences. Another feature that is enhancing the sensory environment of the play space in Guilford is the Maine Buoy Bell wind chimes. These chimes are hand-crafted out of metal and mimic the sounds of the various buoys in Maine waters.

According to Penquis Child Development Director Jean Bridges, “These grants have enabled each of the Centers to add surface space to their playgrounds.” The center on Davis Road in Bangor added a new paved pathway, offering ADA accessibility and allowing children to play with riding toys, tricycles, scooter boards and push toys. “Accessibility and inclusive play is important and careful thought was given to make the playgrounds both safe and fun for all children,” added Bridges.

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Other purchases include snowshoes that provide physical activity for children throughout the long, Maine winters. Many of the locations added a lifted space, “a stage”, for imaginative play and cedar balance beams, river rocks and tree slices, otherwise known as tree cookies, providing new opportunities for children to jump, skip and balance their bodies, while still preserving the natural appearance. “We are really excited about the new sensory materials like the musical chimed fences and tongue drums,” said Bridges.

In addition to the play space improvement, each award-winning Head Start Center will have access to online courses, webinars and resource materials. The Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play was created through a federal grant to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR) from the Office of Head Start.

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Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play

Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play (HSBS) is a project of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR), which are associations of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). Funding for HSBS is provided by the Office of Head Start (OHS), Administration for Children and Families, US Department of Health and Human Services. The purpose of HSBS is to increase physical activity, outdoor play and healthy eating among Head Start and Early Head Start children, families and staff. HSBS will assist Head Start programs in creating healthy learning environments, both in and outside the classroom, through structured and unstructured physical activity that leads to the physical, cognitive, social and emotional development of young children and reduces obesity and its associated costs. HSBS has three main objectives: (1) to inform and assist OHS in setting national priorities and developing policies; (2) to provide resources, training and technical assistance to Head Start and Early Head Start grantees; and (3) to administer and support grants for construction or improvement of outdoor play spaces at Head Start centers.